-What are the reasons for the emerging power of peer groups in teenage years? While children develop, grow, and move into early adolescence, involvement with peers and the attraction of peer identification increases. As pre-adolescents begin rapid physical, emotional and social changes, they begin to question adult standards and the need for parental guidance. They find turning to friends more reassuring. And begin to pay less attention to parents and older caretakers. They begin to trust and seek guidance from friends whom are in the same position. Most primates feel safer in groups, and much like primates people feel protected while in close nit groups. Teenagers feel much safer when their own friends experience the same feelings and same problems. Turning to one who’s undergoing the same problem seems more logical to teens.Groups often times work as one big person. A generally accepted standard become very important in groups. People who oppose the norm often times begin to feel pressure from group members. This is when peer pressure comes along. Teens often times retreat to the safety of friends when troubled or in pressure. If the group standard is much to powerful this is when individuals lose power the power emerges from the group as a whole. Peer groups become small societies and each groups grows stronger with time. Much like structural functionalism groups become entangled with routine and a common belief. One idea pushes another and so forth. Emerging power of peers groups is most powerful in the teenage years. This is because teenagers have not fully developed enough to stand up on their own. They need encouragement or examples from others in order to feel right. After the teenage years people become more independent. They feel more confident and less pressured. Peer groups begin to die out as soon as family starts to form. Families become smaller groups and new standards are formed within. Family breaks large groups...
